22 Ways to Make this Your Best Thanksgiving Ever

Make a list, make a plan, make ahead… Make a mess, clean the mess, make sure… Extend the table, cover the table, decorate the table… Race the clock, race back to the store; race to be ready to relax.

Right?

Hold on; stop! No more. It is now November, and I want this to be your best Thanksgiving ever. But you need to begin early; you need to begin today.

Disclaimer—not all of my ideas are good ideas, they are just ideas. Yet this one is stellar, I promise. Long after the guests are gone and the melting ice cream is placed back into the freezer, you will thank me.

The Suggestion

Memorize Psalm 103.

Don’t panic. I am not adding one more thing to your to do list. Stay with me here. Easier than taking your turkey out of the oven, these benefits will outlast the leftovers.

The Context

I deem Psalm 103 My Thanksgiving Psalm. Each November, I return to savor the soul nourishing words contained in these 22 verses. I look forward to this annual revisit more than I look forward to the sweet potato soufflé.

The Plan

In Psalm 103 a verse corresponds with each calendar day of November. By committing one verse per day to memory, you will finish on November 22, one day before the guests arrive on November 23, 2017.

The Hack

You might ask, “How do I go about this?” Great question. Rick Warren proposes a scripture memory method that actually works.

Begin with the first verse. Emphasize the first word in the verse and then repeat all the words that follow. Follow by emphasizing the second word and recite all the words that follow. And so on.

Repeat the one sentence over and over emphasizing a different word with each repetition, until you have completed the one verse. Surprisingly, the verse will now be yours, hidden in your heart.

The Why

Hiding God’s Word in your heart infuses peace and perspective into your holiday celebration. You literally prepare a feast for your soul as you prepare a feast for your family. If you like this idea, embark on a new tradition. These 22 rich and delicious verses are waiting for you, served below.

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Debby Thompson and her husband Larry have served in global missions with Campus Crusade for Christ International (CCCI) since 1974, and are counted among the pioneering Western missionaries who lived covertly behind the Iron Curtain in communist Poland. In total, the Thompsons spent 33 years in Eastern Europe, ultimately leading CCCI’s work in 20 European nations. Together they and their three children were witnesses to a period of dramatic social, political and spiritual change.
Now living in Cincinnati, Debby serves on the Global Leadership Council of Athletes in Action International, the sports ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ International. An active grandmother of six, she is also a sought-after speaker, writer and mentor for women around the world. Debby’s new book, entitled, The Leader’s Wife, Living with Eternal Intentionality, encourages women to pursue intimacy with Jesus, authenticity with others, a passion for their calling and a purpose for their influence.
Subscribe to Debby’s blog, Living with Eternal Intentionality™, GPS for a Woman of Purpose™ at DebbyThompson.com, and follow her on Twitter at @Debbythompson17. To contact her directly, email: Debby.thompson@cru.org